Movies based on books account for a significant portion, 70%, of the top 20 highest-grossing films worldwide.
On a global scale, film adaptations from books generate 53% more revenue, on average, compared to original screenplays.
Fiction titles that are part of a series tend to be the most successful book-to-screen adaptations based on analytical data.
Following the release of a film adaptation, publishers can expect a substantial increase in book sales, resulting in boosted income.
A striking example is “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” which saw a remarkable surge in book sales, more than tripling in the four weeks after the movie’s release, with 956,700 units sold.
Film adaptations have a profound impact on a book’s popularity on platforms like Goodreads, with ratings increasing by over 1,000%.
Between 2007 and 2016, films adapted from books earned an impressive $22.5 billion globally.
Authors can reap significant financial benefits from successful book-to-screen adaptations through film rights, increased book sales, and enhanced publicity.
A noteworthy case was the Tolkien Trust’s £75 million lawsuit in 2008, claiming lack of income from “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy. The matter was privately settled outside of court.
Interestingly, Scholastic, despite owning the US publishing rights to Harry Potter, did not directly profit from the film series.